Dishmachine

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a dishmachine that includes one or more features directed to water, energy or material savings. The disclosed dishmachines are still capable of meeting the soil demands of the articles to be cleaned.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/569,930, filed Dec. 13, 2011, entitled “Dishmachine,” which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Dishmachines, particularly commercial dishmachines, have to effectivelyclean a variety of articles such as pots and pans, glasses, plates,bowls, and utensils. These articles include a variety of soils,including protein, fat, starch, sugar, and coffee and tea stains, whichcan be difficult to remove. At times, these soils may be burned or bakedon, or otherwise thermally degraded. Other times, the soil may have beenallowed to remain on the surface for a period of time, making it moredifficult to remove. Dishmachines remove soil by using strongdetergents, high temperatures, sanitizers, or mechanical action fromcopious amounts of water. It is against this background that the presentdisclosure is made.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a dishmachine that includes one ormore features directed to water, energy or material savings. Thedisclosed dishmachines are still capable of meeting the soil demands ofthe articles to be cleaned.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-A to 1-D show schematics for fluid motion within thedishmachine.

FIGS. 2-A to 2-B show a schematic of an automatic dump and fill systemand the corresponding logic.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic of a smart automatic dump and fill system.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic of insulated paneling.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic of a heat recovery system.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic of a refrigerant boosted heat recovery system.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic of a dual stage refrigerant boosted heatrecovery system.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic of a recirculated fluid accumulator.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic of a recirculated vapor heat recovery andcondensation system.

FIGS. 10-A and 10-B show schematics of alternate methods for fluidmotion within the dishmachine.

FIGS. 11-A and 11-B show schematics of an RFID tag inserted into a dishrack.

In accordance with common practice, the various described features arenot drawn to scale but are drawn to emphasize specific features relevantto the disclosure. Reference characters denote like features throughoutthe Figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a dishmachine that includes one ormore features directed to water, energy or material savings whilemeeting the soil demands of the articles to be cleaned.

Examples of water savings include using less water in the overall dishmachine cycle, reusing water, or recycling water. Examples of energysavings include using less energy to heat water, and capturing heat andusing the heat for other purposes. Examples of material savings includeusing less chemistry to clean the articles or using less metal in theoverall dishmachine installation. These will now be discussed in moredetail as it relates to specific features of the dishmachine.

Water Savings

Dishmachines use copious amounts of water to clean dishes. A typicalinstitutional door-style or hood-style dishmachine uses from about 0.8to about 1.2 gallons of water per cycle. A typical restaurant runs fromabout 25 to about 350 cycles per day. Which means, a restaurant usesfrom about 20 to about 420 gallons of water per day to clean dishes,pots and pans, glasses, and utensils. The disclosed dishmachine includesmultiple features for reducing the amount of water used withoutsacrificing cleaning efficacy.

Pumped Final Rinse

In some embodiments, the dishmachine can use a pumped final rinse tosave water. In this embodiment, the pump may draw rinse water from asource such as the final fresh rinse water accumulation tank (tank C 10in FIG. 1) or the recovered water of the boosted wash (tank B 6 in FIG.1), also called the power rinse tank. The tank may be selectable byusing a multiple position valve 20 on the pump 22 inlet. The pump mayalso discharge water to any or all of the wash arms, final rinse arms,or power rinse arms via a multiple position valve. This saves water byreusing water that is already in one of the existing tanks of thedishmachine and eliminates or reduces the need to rely on fresh waterfor the rinse. One challenge with using water from an existing tank isthat the water in the tank likely includes other detergents and soilsfrom the articles in the dishmachine. Any chemistry used in the finalrinse must be able to overcome any issues associated with using waterfrom shared tanks.

FIG. 1 generally shows the schematics for fluid motion through adishmachine with a wash chamber 36. FIG. 1-A shows a method in whicheach of the three fluids are pumped through separate systems. System Aincludes the tank A 2, spray arm A 4, and pump 14. System B includes thetank B 6, the spray arm B 8, and the pump 16. System C includes tank C10, spray arm 12, and pump 18. Tank C is replenished with freshwaterfrom an external source. Note that each spray arm is shown as includinga top arm and a bottom arm but it is understood that both arms may notbe required or one or both arms could be substituted with fixed nozzles.System A represents the wash system, System B represents the boostedwash or power rinse system, and System C represents the final freshwaterrinse system. The benefit of the method shown in FIG. 1-A is that eachsystem can be optimized for that particular fluid by pump, tank, andnozzle selection. FIG. 1-B shows a method in which the boosted wash(System B) and final freshwater systems (System C) are joined at thepump inlet by an actuated 3-way valve 20. This allows a single pump 22to be used to apply the booster fluid and the final rinse fluid througha single set of spray arms 24. The benefit of this is that fewer pumpsand spray arms are required. FIG. 1-C shows a method in which theboosted wash (System B) and wash systems (System A) are joined at thepump inlet by an actuated 3-way valve 26. This allows a single pump 28to be used to apply the booster fluid and the wash fluid through asingle set of spray arms 30. The benefit of this is that fewer pumps andspray arms are required. FIG. 1-D shows an alternate to FIG. 1-B inwhich the boosted wash (System B) and final freshwater systems (SystemC) are joined at the pump outlet by a three-way valve 32. This allowsfor optimization of the pump for each application.

In an alternate configuration, a pressurized freshwater source can beutilized in place of the pumped freshwater source (tank C 10 in FIG. 1).In this case, the pressurized water can enter the system at valve 34 asseen in FIG. 10. FIG. 10-A is identical to FIG. 1-A with the exceptionthat the freshwater source is pressurized without the aid of a finalrinse pump 18 from tank C 10 and is controlled by the positioning of anautomatically operated valve 34 as opposed to the starting and stoppingof the rinse pump 18. FIG. 10-B is identical to FIG. 1-C with theexception that the freshwater source is pressurized without the aid of afinal rinse pump 18 and is controlled by the positioning of anautomatically operated valve 34 as opposed to the starting and stoppingof the rinse pump 18.

Automated and Smart Dump and Fill

In some embodiments, the dishmachine can incorporate an automated tankdump and fill that could be incorporated on both or either of thedishmachine fluid tanks. This feature automatically drains and fills,either completely or partially a volume of water from the dishmachine,and is shown in FIG. 2-A. The dishmachine could automatically drain andfill the machine in response to a change in the wash tank. Such a changecould include the wash tank becoming too dirty, which could bedetermined by completing a certain predetermined number of wash cycles,or in real time by a sensor such as a turbidity sensor 42 that actuallymeasures the turbidity of the tank and coordinates with the controller38 to open and close valves 44 to drain the tanks 2 and 6. This saves asubstantial amount of water and chemistry by not prematurely drainingthe tank before it is dirty. This also ensures that the concentration offoodsoil does not become too great such that the rinse system of thedishmachine cannot properly rinse the ware. The automated dump and fillprocess may be controlled using drain and fill valves with a levelsensor 40.

FIG. 2-B shows an example of the logic the dishmachine controller 38 canuse to drain and refill the dishmachine tanks 2 or 6 in response tofeedback from the turbidity sensors 42. The controller 38 receivesfeedback on the fluid levels in tanks 2 and 6 from the level sensors 40(shown at 502). The controller 38 optionally receives feedback on theturbidity of tanks 2 and 6 from the turbidity sensors 42 (shown at 504).Finally, the controller may optionally include a count to determine thenumber of racks washed since the last drain event (shown at 506).

In some embodiments, the rack count simply counts the number of racksthat go through the machine. In some embodiments, the rack count is asmart rack count that, together with a rack identification system,counts the number and type of rack and uses a weighted algorithm todetermine when to drain and fill the machine after a certain number of acertain type of rack goes through the machine. For example, pots andpans are typically dirtier than glasses. So, ten pot and pan racks wouldhave more soil than 10 glass racks. A weighted rack counting systemwould take into account the soil load typically associated with certainracks. An exemplary algorithm includes the following: dump and fill themachine when ((rack type A)*X)+((rack type B)*Y)+((rack typeC)*Z)=predetermined value, where X, Y, and Z are values intended to givemore weight to pot and pan racks, less weight to racks for plates andbowls, less weight to racks with utensils, and less weight to racks withglassware. More or less racks could be added to the algorithm toaccommodate additional or fewer rack types.

The controller takes inputs 502, 504, and 506 and determines if theturbidity measurement (508) or the rack count measurement (510) has hita predetermined value. The predetermined values would be programmed intothe controller 38 so that the controller would know how many racks towash before draining and refilling the tank or tanks. Likewise, thecontroller 38 would be programmed to know how high the turbiditymeasurement could go before draining and refilling the tank or tanks.Once either the turbidity measurement or the rack count reached thepredetermined value, the controller 38 would actuate the drain valve 44on the tank or tanks to partially or completely drain them (shown at512) and then refill them to the desired level (514) as determined bythe level sensors 40.

The smart dump and fill system is shown in FIG. 3. The dishmachinecontroller 38 is programmed to adjust how frequently the dishmachinedrains and refills in response to use of the dishmachine. For example,during periods of high use, the machine would be programmed to drain andrefill more frequently and during periods of low use, the machine wouldbe programmed to drain and refill less frequently. “Use” can bedetermined by counting wash cycles. “Use” may also be determined byconsidering the contents of the dish racks 46. For example, restaurantswash more pots and pans in the morning as they are preparing food forthe day. The dishmachine controller 38 can be programmed to identifythose racks 46 as “pot and pan” racks and drain and refill thedishmachine more frequently than if the same number of racks of glassesgo through the machine. How the dishmachine determines the content ofthe rack is discussed below in more detail and in U.S. Pat. Nos.7,437,213 and 6,463,940, which are incorporated herein by reference.Said differently, the dishmachine could be programmed to dump and fillafter 10 pot and pan racks, 100 racks of plates, 400 racks of glasses,or some logical combination of the rack totals. The purpose of thiswould be to take into account the relatively high soil content of potsand pans versus plates, glasses, or utensils.

Integrated Water Conditioner

In some embodiments, the dishmachine can incorporate an integrated waterconditioning system. Water conditioning that is built into thedishmachine avoids the need for an extra, external, water conditioningsystem. And because the integrated system is only associated with thedish machine, the only demands on the system are those of thedishmachine, and not the rest of the water used in the kitchen orfacility. Integrating the water conditioning system into the dishmachinehas further benefits: water quality can be observed and analyzed by themachine, and adjustments to the level of conditioning can be made.Traditional water treatment systems employ open loop control schemes.Water is treated at a predetermined rate, and regardless of use,efficiency, or performance, the level of treatment remains constant.Technologies such as conductivity probes may be utilized to monitor thehardness of the treated water; this can provide closed loop feedback tothe system allowing real-time adjustments to the level of watertreatment to maintain the desired results. This may lead to significantimprovements in both water conditioning effectiveness and efficiency. Inthe scenario where the dishmachine is in a low volume or storage state,the level of water treatment can be reduced or disabled to match thelower needs of the machine. Likewise, if the machine is undergoing ahigh volume scenario, the level of water treatment can be increased tosustain premium results. The condition of the treated water may also beused by the smart controller to adjust chemistry and machine parameterson the fly. The amount of chemistry used can be increased or decreasedto adapt to the incoming water condition. Similarly, various machinecontrol parameters can be adjusted to aid in overall performance basedon water condition. For example, if the water has a higher than expectedhardness level, the wash and/or rinse cycle times can be adjusted inreal-time. All of these real-time adjustment scenarios permit themachine to maintain optimal results regardless of the condition of thewater. Several integrated water conditioning systems may be used. Insome embodiments, the integrated water treatment system is an onboardwater softener. In some embodiments, the integrated water treatmentsystem is a capacitive deionization system such as the one described inpatent applications US 2012/0138470, US 2012/0125776, US 2012/0217170,and US 2012/0103818. In some embodiments, the integrated water treatmentsystem is an onboard reverse osmosis system. In some embodiments, theintegrated water treatment system utilizes an ion exchange resinregenerated by an acid, such as the ones described in the patentapplications titled Acid Regeneration of Ion Exchange Resins forIndustrial Applications, with attorney docket number 2991USU1, andIntegrated Acid Regeneration of Ion Exchange Resins for IndustrialApplications, with attorney docket number 2991USU2, both filedconcurrently herewith.

Dish Racks

For every type of rack, a specific washing sequence may be programmedinto the dishmachine controller. These washing sequences can adjust theamount of chemistry used (acidic detergents, alkaline detergents, rinseaid, etc.) or the machine cycles themselves. For instance, an acid cyclemay be run before an alkaline cycle for a specific type of food soil toachieve better results. Another option alternates the pH level of thedetergent repeatedly to remove a specific type of soil. An example ofthis type of soil would be starch or coffee stains. Glasses benefit froma pre-rinse application of the acidic product to neutralize anyalkalinity from the wash cycle. They also benefit from an extended rinsecycle with additional rinse aid. In some embodiments, the dishmachinecontroller can detect if a rack was washed with a complete cycle or not.If the cycle is determined to be interrupted for a given rack (based onthe position of the door switch and the rack not being identified withinthe dishmachine) and is not restarted or completed for that rack, anindicator may alert the operator of the incomplete wash sequence andsuggest that the rack be rewashed. Statistics on the number ofincomplete wash cycles may be collected and compiled into a report toprovide an overall dishmachine “success rate” and help identify causesof the incomplete cycles.

Rewashing Racks

A concept that is related to the concept of complete cycles, is theconcept of rewashing racks or articles. In some embodiments, thedishmachine can determine the number of types of articles and ware thatare rewashed based on the amount of time that elapsed between a specificrack of ware exiting and reentering the machine. Each rack may have anability to communicate not only the type of rack (i.e., pot and pan,glasses, dishes, etc.), but also a unique rack identifier such as aserial number. If the amount of time from the end of a successful washcycle for a given rack to the start of the wash cycle for that exactrack is less than the amount of time it would take to empty and refillthe rack, it may be flagged as a rewashed rack. This time could bebetween 10 seconds to 2 minutes. The time used for the alarm wouldbenefit from adjustability so it can be customized to the specificoperation of the installation site. A report can be generated withrewash information and used in various ways such as operator training,machine maintenance, chemistry adjustments and chemistry selection.Furthermore if a rack is flagged it can be reinserted into thedishmachine and the machine can be reprogrammed to alter the cleaningcycle to address stubborn soils that forced the rewash.

Energy Savings

Dishmachines use a considerable amount of energy between the electricityrequired to run the machine and the energy required to heat the waterused in the machine. High temperatures are used in dishmachines for soilremoval and sanitizing. Exemplary temperatures used in dishmachinesinclude 150-165° F. wash water and 165-180° F. rinse water for hot watertemperature sanitizing machines and 120-140° F. wash and rinse watertemperatures for chemical sanitizing machines. In a typical dishmachineprocess, the majority of the energy in the hot water is lost, either asvapor or disposed of down the drain when the dishmachine tank is drainedor overflows.

Some of the water saving features described above are also energysaving. For example, by draining and refilling a dishmachine tank lessfrequently, less water needs to be heated up. Creating smarterdishmachines with less frequency of incomplete cycles or rewashed rackswill ultimately use less water, and therefore less hot water. Specificenergy saving features will now be described.

Insulated Paneling

In some embodiments, the dishmachine includes insulated paneling on theexterior of the machine. The insulation helps with noise reduction, andalso heat loss from the machine. Decreasing the rate of heat loss fromthe dishmachine in turn decreases the frequency that any heater(s) onthe dishmachine need to be used to maintain the temperature of the waterin the tanks of the machine. An example of insulated paneling is shownin FIG. 4. Specifically, FIG. 4 shows a dishmachine similar to that ofFIG. 2. The arrows in FIG. 4 indicate the flow of heat across a surface.For example, a double sided arrow, such as that shown around thecontroller 38 indicates a boundary of relatively high thermalconductivity which encourages heat transfer. This type of surface may besolid or perforated and is recommended for use when heat transferbetween two adjacent materials is desirable. Examples of materials withhigh thermal conductivity include stainless steel (10-20 gauge), carbonsteel, iron, nickel, brass, silver, copper and combinations or alloys ofthese. These materials could also be layered with cladding such asstainless steel cladding over aluminum. In contrast, a single sidedarrow, such as that shown around the wash chamber 36 and around tank A 2and tank B 6 represents a boundary of relatively low thermalconductivity, which discourages heat transfer. This will minimize heatloss to both the surrounding dishmachine environment and any dishmachinecomponents that are sensitive to heat. Examples of materials with lowthermal conductivity include a certain thickness of foam or fiberglassinsulation clad in stainless steel (10-20 gauge), porcelain, nylon,polymers such as PTFE, PVC, HDPE, and polystyrene, fiberglass, air, andcombinations of these. An exemplary combination of these materialsincludes the use of a material with an air-filled internal chamber. Thiswould decrease overall weight, thermal conductivity, and cost. Anotherexemplary combination is the use of an open or closed cellular structurethat is embedded with air or other gasses directly into the material.FIG. 4 shows that heat can be contained within the wash chamber 36 byusing materials with low thermal conductivity along the exterior of themachine and while allowing materials with high thermal conductivitywithin the confines of the dishmachine. FIG. 4 also shows that highthermal conductive materials are suitable for components that aresensitive to heat such as electronic components like the controller 38.

Heat Recovery System

In some embodiments, the dishmachine is designed to reduce the amount ofheat lost from the machine. Dishmachines lose heat primarily through thedrained or displaced water through the floor drain as well as hot watervapor exhausted to the environment outside of the dishmachine. Heat lossdue to drained or displaced water can be minimized by reducing theoverall water consumption of the dishmachine. Heat loss due to hot watervapor can be minimized by capturing and condensing the vapor. Thedisclosed dishmachine helps reduce the amount of heat lost through oneof several embodiments.

For example, FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a dishmachine thatincorporates a single or multiple stage heat recovery system. In FIG. 5,warm moist air is drawn from the inside of the machine at outlet 100.Warm moist air may optionally also be drawn from the environmentsurrounding the dishmachine at 102. The air from outlet 100 and theenvironment 102 is drawn into a heat exchanger 108 through inlet 104.Note that inlet 104 may be a simple hole that air is drawn into, inwhich case the arrows in FIG. 5 represent the path that vapor wouldfollow to flow into the inlet 104. Alternatively, inlet 104 could beconnected to outlet 100 with a duct, or pipe such that air flowsdirectly from the machine outlet 100 and into inlet 104. In thissituation, inlet 104 could optionally also include another hole fromwhich to draw in air from the environment 102. In this embodiment, inlet104 could also include a valve that could select between drawing air infrom outlet 100, from the environment 102 or both.

The air may be drawn into the heat exchanger 108 by a fan 106. Onceinside the heat exchanger 108, a fan 106 or convection extracts the heatfrom the warm moist air from the machine and surrounding environment bydrawing the air across shell- or tube-type heat exchanger(s) 110. Theheat captured in heat exchanges 110 is then used to preheat incomingwater from the fluid accumulator 116. Once the heat is removed from thewarm moist air coming from the machine or the environment, therelatively cool, dry air is exhausted out the top of the heat exchanger108 at vent 114. Any water that has been condensed inside of the heatexchanger 108 can be drained back into the machine at drain 112. Thisprocess reduces or eliminates reliance on traditional heaters. A boosterheater 120 may be incorporated into the dishmachine to supplementheating of the incoming water as needed.

In some embodiments, the dishmachine uses a refrigerant-boosted heatrecovery process. FIG. 6 shows a refrigerant-boosted heat recoveryprocess that uses a single step. FIG. 7 shows a refrigerant-boosted heatrecovery process that uses a multiple step process with at least onestage being boosted by refrigerant.

FIG. 6 shows a dishmachine that collects warm moist air from the insideof the dishmachine at outlet 100 and optionally from the environmentsurrounding the dishmachine at 102. The warm moist air is collected andchanneled to an inlet 104, which sends the air into a heat exchanger108. The heat exchanger 108 may include a fan 106 to help collect theair and direct it across the heat exchanger coils 110. As in FIG. 5,inlet 104 may be a simple hole that air is drawn into, in which case thearrows in FIG. 6 represent the path that vapor would follow to flow intothe inlet 104. Alternatively, inlet 104 could be connected to outlet 100with a duct, or pipe such that air flows directly from the machineoutlet 100 and into inlet 104. In this situation, inlet 104 couldoptionally also include another hole from which to draw in air from theenvironment 102. In this embodiment, inlet 104 could also include avalve that could select between drawing air in from outlet 100, from theenvironment 102 or both.

Once the heat has been removed from the air from 100 and 102, the drycool air is sent up the exhaust 114 and the cooled, condensed water isdrained back into the dishmachine at drain 112. In FIG. 6, the coils110, compressor 122, coils 128, and the expansion valve 124 form a heatpump where the coils 110 and 128 are filled with Freon. In use, the heatfrom the dishmachine vapor is removed from the vapor and transferred tothe Freon inside coils 110. That heat is moved over to the condensercoils 128 where it is pulled out and used to heat fluid from the fluidaccumulator 132. Incoming water from fluid supply 118 flows into thefluid accumulator 132. Water from the fluid accumulator 132 is pumpedinto the condenser 126 where it pulls the heat out of coils 128 beforebeing pumped back into the fluid accumulator 132. The warmed water inthe fluid accumulator 132 is then pumped by pump 18 to an optionalbooster heater 120 before being used in the machine. In someembodiments, the heat from the heat pump system is able to heat thewater in the fluid accumulator 132 up to 100° F. In some embodiments,the heat from the heat pump system is able to heat the water in thefluid accumulator 132 by 15° F., 30° F., or 45° F.

FIG. 7 shows a dishmachine that collects warm moist air from the insideof the dishmachine at outlet 100 and optionally from the environmentsurrounding the dishmachine at 102. The warm moist air is collected andchanneled to an inlet 104, which sends the air into a heat exchanger108. The heat exchanger 108 may include a fan 106 to help collect theair and direct it across the heat exchanger coils 110. As with FIGS. 5and 6, inlet 104 may be a simple hole that air is drawn into, in whichcase the arrows in FIG. 7 represent the path that vapor would follow toflow into the inlet 104. Alternatively, inlet 104 could be connected tooutlet 100 with a duct, or pipe such that air flows directly from themachine outlet 100 and into inlet 104. In this situation, inlet 104could optionally also include another hole from which to draw in airfrom the environment 102. In this embodiment, inlet 104 could alsoinclude a valve that could select between drawing air in from outlet100, from the environment 102 or both.

Once the heat has been removed from the air from 100 and 102, the airfrom the heat exchanger 108 is sent up the exhaust 114 and the cooled,condensed water is drained back into the dishmachine at drain 112. Theair sent up exhaust 114 is collected at inlet 134 and sent throughanother heat exchanger 138. As with the first heat exchanger, inlet 134may be a simple hole that air is drawn into, in which case the arrowsfrom exhaust 114 to the inlet 134 represent the path that vapor wouldfollow to flow into inlet 134. Alternatively, inlet 134 could beconnected to exhaust 114 with a duct or pipe such that air flowsdirectly from exhaust 114 to inlet 134. Heat exchanger 138 may alsoinclude a fan 136 to assist with collecting the air and moving the airacross coils 140. In FIG. 7, the coils 140, compressor 122, coils 158,and the expansion valve 154 form a heat pump where the coils 140 and 158are filled with Freon. In use, the heat from the dishmachine vapor isremoved from the vapor and transferred to the Freon inside coils 140.That heat is moved over to the condenser coils 158 where it is pulledout and used to heat fluid from the fluid accumulator 132. Incomingwater from fluid supply 118 flows into the fluid accumulator 132. Waterfrom the fluid accumulator 132 is pumped into the condenser 156 where itpulls the heat out of coils 158 before being pumped back into the fluidaccumulator 132. The warmed water in the fluid accumulator 132 is thenpumped by pump 18 to an optional booster heater 120 before being used inthe machine. In some embodiments, the heat from the heat pump system isable to heat the water in the fluid accumulator 132 up to 100° F. Insome embodiments, the heat from the heat pump system is able to heat thewater in the fluid accumulator 132 by 15° F., 30° F., or 45° F.

Once additional heat is removed from the air in heat exchanger 138 thecool dry air is sent out exhaust 142 and any additional condensed wateris allowed to drain back into the dishmachine through drain 150.

FIG. 8 shows a more detailed view of the fluid accumulator 132. Coldwater enters the fluid accumulator 132 from the fluid supply 118. Waterin the fluid accumulator 132 is gradually heated up by recirculating thefluid in the fluid accumulator 132 through the coils in the condenser126 and/or heat exchanger 108 via recirculation pump 130. The optionalbaffles 300 in the fluid accumulator 132 help maintain a temperaturegradient across the fluid accumulator 132 so that the cold water fromthe fluid supply 118 is at least partially separated from the warmerwater that has been recirculated through the condenser 126 andoptionally the heat exchanger 108. This also allows the hottestre-circulated water to be most near the outlet 302 that supplies thewash chamber 36. The water leaving the fluid accumulator 132 is pumpedusing fluid pump 18 which transports the water through an optionalbooster heater 120 and onto the arms 12 in the wash chamber 36.

There are several advantages with using a heat recovery system. Forexample, the heat transfer capacity of the heat recovery system can bespecified and matched to the expected heat load of the dishmachine andpotentially exceeded allowing for recovery of heat loads other than thedishmachine. This is beneficial in institutional kitchens which areoften hot and humid environments due to the continuous use of stoves,ovens, and hot water and would allow for the recovery of heat from theseother appliances. The heat recovery system is also beneficial because itcan operate independent of the dishmachine cycle and continue capturingheat from the environment surrounding the dishmachine, even if thedishmachine is not running or is generating little to no vapor. The heatrecovery system is also beneficial because it can be used with both hightemperature and low temperature dishmachines. It also lowers the totalwater usage by incorporating the condensate back into the dishmachine.Further, the heat recovery system also reduces the vapor released fromthe dishmachine. This is beneficial in that it may eliminate the needfor installing expensive, complicated, and material intensive ventstypically associated with dishmachines. It may also reduce heating andair conditioning costs used to offset the release of vapor into the areaaround the dishmachine, which would be an additional significant energysavings.

In some embodiments, the dishmachine may include a vapor vent, such asthe one described in U.S. Pat. No. Re 40,123, incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. Solutions like the one described in the '123patent do not recover heat, but rather reduce the amount of vaporreleased from the dishmachine. Reduced vapor machines may be “ventless”and eliminate the need to install expensive, complicated, andmaterial-intensive vents above the machine.

In an alternative configuration, the heat recovery system can bedesigned to exhaust back into the wash chamber as shown in FIG. 9. Thisis desirable because it allows for the vapor to make multiple passesthrough the heat exchanger, which means that any air exhausted out ofthe machine is additionally dryer and cooler. FIG. 9 shows a dishmachinewith a wash chamber 36. The wash chamber 36 includes one or more sprayarms 200 that emit a spray 202. The dishmachine includes doors 204 andexhausts 206. The dishmachine also includes a drain 208, a wash sump210, and a heating unit 212, which may be electric. The dishmachine alsoincludes a booster heater 214. During operation, hot, moist vapor exitsfrom the wash chamber 36 through vent 222, where it enters the heatexchanger 216. Heat exchanger 216 includes coils 218. The hot, moistvapor passes over the coils 218, which remove the heat from the vapor,causing the water to condense and the water and cooled air to drain backinto the wash chamber 36 through the drain 220. The drain 220 mayoptionally include a fan 228 to assist with moving air from the heatexchanger 216 back into the wash chamber 36. Freshwater from thefreshwater supply 226 is pumped through the rinse valve 224 and into theinterior of the coils 218 where it is heated up. The water leaving thecoils 218 may optionally go through a booster heater 214 before beingpumped back into the wash chamber 36 and arms 200.

This method has two distinct benefits: decreased dry times for ware anddecreased heat loss from the dishmachine. The decreased dry times aredriven by decreased vapor condensation on the ware in the wash chamberdue to exhausting relatively dry and hot air back into the machine aswell as the physical force of air acting upon the ware to dislodge ormigrate water off the ware. To decrease dry times of ware (as comparedto an equivalent machine without heat recovery/vapor condensation), thetemperature of the ware must be higher than the dew point of the washchamber to avoid the formation of condensation on the ware. Thisre-circulated design will remove vapor from the chamber air thuslowering the dew point to prevent condensation on the surfaces of theware especially as the ware immediately begins to cool with the openingof the door. To decrease heat loss from the dishmachine, the chamber airis recirculated across the heat exchanger and back into the machine toavoid losing sensible and latent heat to the environment surrounding thedishmachine that may not be captured in a single pass across the heatexchanger. Said another way, this recirculation of chamber air acrossthe heat exchanger and back into the chamber allows the system tocapture heat from the air on multiple passes across the heat exchangerin a single dishmachine cycle. Additionally, the design of the heatexchanger may not be able to remove enough sensible heat from thechamber air to lower the temperature of the chamber air below thetemperature of the air surrounding the dishmachine. This means that moreheat will be preserved within the dishmachine if the makeup air issupplied back into the wash chamber by recirculated air as opposed tothe cooler air surrounding the dishmachine. If cooler environmental airwas drawn into the machine, it would remove energy from components ofthe machine, most notably the metal surfaces of the machine that comeinto contact with wash and rinse water. In this scenario, the wash andrinse water would then lose energy into the metal surfaces of themachine and draw more overall energy from the machine's power source.

Wash Time

In some embodiments, the dishmachine may be configured to alert theoperator to the optimal time for washing subsequent racks or provide ahistorical average on how well the operator has been meeting thisoptimal time. Much like a hybrid car graphically alerts the operator tooptimal gas usage, the dishmachine could graphically alert the operatorto wash subsequent racks within a certain time frame. One method ofdoing this would be for the dishmachine or the controller to include atimer, where the timer starts counting down or up from somepredetermined time when the dishmachine cycle starts or ends. Startinganother wash cycle would reset the timer. The purpose of the timer wouldbe to encourage the operator to start another rack within a specifictime frame relative to the dishmachine cycle. Doing so would reduceenergy costs by ensuring the dishmachine is utilizing its least costlysource of heat and minimizing idle time in which the available heat isnot being used to clean dishes. Another graphical output could be a red,yellow, or green indicator to indicate historical efficiency averageswhere red would be poor, yellow would be better, and green would bebest. In this embodiment, more cycles run before the timer expired wouldimprove a historical average from red (poor) to yellow (better) to green(best). An additional benefit of this technology would be maximizedthroughput of the machine, as well as reduced labor time required tocomplete the ware washing. Instead of or in addition to graphicallyshowing this on the dishmachine or the dishmachine controller, theinformation could be logged and included in a report. The report couldbe given to a customer or used for training. Further, the dishmachinecould be programmed to emit an audible noise when the timer starts, whenthe timer is about to run out, or when the timer runs out, to alert anoperator in the area of the dishmachine that the previous cycle has beencompleted and the next dishmachine cycle should be started.

Material Savings

In addition to water and energy, dishmachines require large amounts ofother materials with two significant examples being the materials usedto make the actual dishmachine and the various chemical compositionsused in the dishmachine during a cycle. Reducing or extending the lifeof the materials used to make the dishmachine is important for severalreasons. For example, raw material prices on metal are increasing,making articles made from metal more expensive. Further, once thedishmachine has completed its useful life, materials that cannot be costeffectively reused or recycled are sent to landfills. And the variouscomponents of dishmachines may break or need to be repaired or replacedovertime. Simplifying the design of the machine simplifies repairing andmaintaining the machine.

The chemical compositions used in the dishmachine are critical togetting clean, shiny, and spotless dishes, pots and pans, utensils, andglasses. Dirty dishes, pots and pans, utensils and glasses can haveserious health consequences and negatively affect a consumer'sperception of a restaurant. If a restaurant does not see the resultsthey are getting, the first place they look is at the chemistry, not thewater or the machine. Therefore, it is paramount that the chemistry usedin the dishmachine is able to overcome whatever changes and variationsoccur in the volume, temperature and quality of the water, thedishmachine design, and any other variable in the dish washing process.With that in mind, the tendency may be to overuse the amount of chemicalcompositions and rely on the strongest chemicals available. The presentdisclosed dishmachine strategically uses the chemical compositions in away that uses less chemistry but still cleans the articles.

The articles that are cleaned in a dishmachine experience differenttypes of soils. For example, pots and pans are soiled with large amountsof starch, sugar, protein, and fatty soils. In contrast, glasses are nottypically heavily soiled but have hard to remove soils like lipstick,coffee and tea stains. In some embodiments, the dishmachine uses dishracks with unique identifiers to alert the dishmachine of the article inthe rack. Once the dishmachine identifies the type of article in therack, it can modify the dishmachine cycle in a manner that selects thevarious cycles, times, temperatures, and chemical compositions needed toclean that article without using too much of anything for thatparticular article. For example, running a wash cycle with chemicalcompositions that are effective at cleaning pots and pans would likelybe too much chemistry for a rack that is full of glasses. Rackidentification allows a dishmachine operator to use the correct type andconcentration of chemistry for the article to be cleaned. And by notoverusing chemistry, the operator can use less chemistry overall whilestill seeing the expected cleaning performance results. An exemplaryrack identification system is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,437,213 and6,463,940, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

A rack identification system could be realized through the use of aRadio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag as discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos.7,437,213 and 6,463,940. An embodiment of this type of RFID rackidentification system could make use of disc-shaped RFID tags encased ina plastic or epoxy/PPS case. These tags are designed to withstand thewater, chemical and temperature environments in dishmachines and arewell-suited to use in a dishmachine. More specifically, tags withlow-frequency (LF), for example, between 125 KHz or 148 KHz, orpreferably with high-frequency (HF), for example 13.56 MHz and aboveoperating frequencies can be utilized for these applications. Someexamples of these tags are available from Texas Instruments, HID Globaland SmarTrac.

These RFID tags may be integrated into the dishmachine rack in manyways. They may be physically attached to the rack by use of a fastener,may be molded directly into the rack, or may be attached to the rackwith a molded or machined clip or bracket. They may be located at anylocation on the rack, but preferably will be located along the outsideedge of the rack, so they do not interfere with the spray of water thatcleans the dishes. Preferably the mounting feature allows the RFID tagto be attached to both new and pre-existing racks. One method of doingthis is with an injection molded bracket that is designed to hold theRFID tag in a specific position on the rack, and can be inserted intomany types of racks. A particularly preferred location for the RFID tagis in a horizontal location close to the bottom of the rack, in thecorner of the rack. This is a location that places the tag in aconsistent location, which can be read through an antenna located justbelow the rack guide in the dishmachine. The size of tags for horizontaluse in the corner of the racks must not be too large or the water spraywill be blocked. Preferred tags are between 10-30 mm, or 15-19 mm indiameter. FIGS. 11-A and 11-B show an example of an RFID tag 400inserted into a clip 402 that is then inserted into a rack 404.

There are several ways in which it would be possible to attach the tagbracket to the dish rack, such as a fastener, a screw, a push-in plasticrod, a circular protrusion that would fit into a hole in the rack, asmall horizontal rib that would snap in to a matching slot feature onthe rack, or by using a clip modified either during molding of the rackor the rack may need to be retrofitted.

The RFID reader electronics and reader antenna are integrated into thedishmachine in order to read the identification of the rack insertedinto the machine. To select the correct chemistry and dishmachine cyclecharacteristics to use for a rack, it is helpful for the rackidentification to be read prior to or very early during the dishmachinewashing cycle. The rack RFID tag could be read outside of thedishmachine, or preferably inside of the dishmachine, to avoid readingtags on other racks that might be in close proximity to the readerantenna outside of the dishmachine. Furthermore, it is preferable tolocate the antenna below the location where the rack is located in thedishmachine. If the antenna is positioned horizontally, it can readlonger distances with a horizontally positioned RFID tag in the rack. Itis preferable to read the tag while the rack is being inserted into thedishmachine, instead of reading after it is fully inserted.

The identification of the type of dish rack can help configure theprocess used to clean the ware in that specific dish rack, can createtrends and historical data on problems encountered during the washprocess, the general operation of the machine (e.g., how often it isdrained), and the type of ware washed during particular times and daysof the week, and can help create reports to improve management of a dishwashing facility.

Selected Chemistry

In some embodiments, the disclosed dishmachine uses combinations ofchemical compositions to achieve improved cleaning results. An exampleof such a combination is using chemical compositions with opposite pHvalues. Exemplary combinations include using alkaline and acidiccompositions in alternative alkaline-acid-alkaline or acid-alkaline-acidsequences. The chemical compositions could be dishmachine pre-soaks,detergents, rinse aids, and the like. The pH of the alkalinecompositions can range from about 7 to about 14, from about 9 to about13, or from about 10 to about 12. The pH of the acidic composition canrange from about 0 to about 7, from about 1 to about 5, or from about 2to about 4. When using combinations of chemical compositions, it may bedesirable to apply the compositions in certain ways. For example, insome embodiments, the acid composition may be applied through the rinsearm of the dishmachine, through spray nozzles mounted on the top, bottomand top, or bottom of the dishmachine, through a separate arm (such as asecondary rinse arm) of the dishmachine, through nozzles on the rinsearm, or a combination of these. The acidic composition may be dosed intothe water holding tank of the dishmachine, or it may be injected intothe flowing stream of water. Additional embodiments using alkaline andacidic compositions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,942,980 and8,092,613, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference hereinin their entirety.

Deliming

In some embodiments, the dishmachine may incorporate an automatic orsmart delime cycle to periodically remove lime scale from the walls andcomponents inside of the dishmachine and dishmachine components.Traditional dishmachines are delimed by pouring deliming chemical intothe wash tank of the machine and running the wash pump for a specifiedduration. This process does not allow deliming chemical to circulatethrough the dishmachine rinse system since there are no provisions toinject the deliming chemical into the freshwater supply of thedishmachine and the wash pump does not circulate water through the rinsesystem. One possible solution to this is to inject deliming chemistry atthe freshwater entrance point to the dishmachine, this chemistry may bepart of, or separate from chemistry already used in the normaldishmachine cycles. This method of injection will ensure all fluidcarrying surfaces of the dishmachine can be delimed Furthermore, in adishmachine with a pumped rinse system, the deliming chemistry may beinjected into the water tank that stores the water for the pumped rinse.The frequency of the deliming operation will be determined byenvironmental variables such as water quality. The dishmachinecontroller may have provisions to provide an indication that a delimecycle is necessary.

In a dishmachine that utilizes multiple tanks with a diverter to controlwhich tank water is directed to, it would be possible to utilize a watersolution with chemistry suited to deliming that resides or is pumpedinto one tank for deliming in the other tank. This would be done byrunning the pump connected to the tank with the deliming chemistry whileusing the diverter to redirect the water into the other tank. Aftersufficient water with deliming chemistry has been directed into theother tank, it would be possible to use the pump connected to the othertank to pump water with deliming chemistry through the plumbing andrinse arms of this other tank, resulting in deliming of the surfaces ofthis plumbing and rinse arms, in addition to deliming of this secondtank.

The Dishmachine Controller

In some embodiments, the dishmachine or the dishmachine controller isprogrammed to select cycle parameters based on the type of ware to bewashed. Cycle parameters could include the cycle time, cycle sequence,water temperature, chemical composition sequence, chemical compositionconcentration, and the like. Selecting dishmachine parameters tocorrespond to the ware to be washed can result in using less water,energy, and material (chemistry). In some embodiments, the dishmachineor dishmachine controller can be programmed to select cycle parametersthat are harder to change in real time such as water temperature, or thedetergent concentration of the wash tank. Some parameters such as cycletime are easy to change rack to rack. But, water temperature may bedifficult to change rack to rack because of the time required for thewater to cool or heat up. Likewise, changing the detergent concentrationof the wash tank is difficult to change in real time rack to rackwithout dumping and refilling the tank for each rack. An alternative toreal time adjustment is to select dishmachine parameters that reflectthe soil most likely to be encountered by the dishmachine. The “mostlikely soil” may be determined by the time of day, day of week, day ofmonth, day of year, and it may be determined by the nature of therestaurant or location. For example, early in the day, restaurants areprepping entrees for lunch and dinner. During this time of day, adishmachine is more likely to see pots and pans. Accordingly, during thehours of 4:00 am and 9:00 am, the dishmachine could be programmed toclean pots and pans, which may mean a higher concentration of detergentin the wash tank, high water temperatures, and longer dishmachinecycles. Later in the day, for example during the lunch and dinner hours,the dishmachine is likely going to see plates and bowls and could beprogrammed to have wash temperatures, rinse temperatures, and detergentconcentrations that correspond to washing more dishes. And, at the endof the day, after dinner, a restaurant may see more glasses, in whichcase the dishmachine may be programmed to have wash temperatures andrinse temperatures that correspond to washing glasses, and a higherconcentration of rinse aid to make sure that the glasses are spotless.These parameters are exemplary only. In some embodiments, thedishmachine or controller could be programmed for the type of foodsoilto be encountered on that particular day of the week, date, or month toaccount for reoccurring events such as holidays. In some embodiments, ifit is found that a specific set of temperatures is beneficial and thesetemperatures are higher than the minimum required temperatures, thelogic may be programmed to more broadly determine the likely dishmachineuse times and target the higher temperatures at these times to avoid theincreased energy usage during idle times. In some embodiments, thedishmachine or controller could be programmed for the type of food soilmost likely to be encountered at a particular location. Examples couldinclude detergents designed to remove starchy soils at an Italianrestaurant, or detergents designed to remove coffee and tea stains at acoffee shop. In this example a set of pre-programmed parameters wouldthen be used to help remove the particular food soils.

Configuration of the dishmachine to run under different operationalparameters based on time of day, day of the week or other controllingparameters could be programmed into the operational parameters of thedishmachine initially or when it is configured for operation in aspecific location. Alternatively, the configuration of these operationalparameters could automatically take place through collection ofhistorical data on the operation of the machine obtained through rackidentification functionality. For example, cumulative data on the numberof racks of different type of ware that is washed during specific timeperiods during the day or days of the week could be used toautomatically adjust the chemistry, cycle processes, etc. to best washthe type of ware expected during that time. In this way, the operationalparameters could automatically adjust over time as the controllingparameters change, which might occur seasonally, for example.

Other dishmachine functionality not directly related to individual cycleoperation can also be adjusted based on either manually configuredvalues or automated processes. For example, automatic tank drain andrefill, either complete or partial, to improve the cleanliness of thewater in the tanks, could be adjusted based on the type of ware beingwashed. With the example above, if pots and pans are cleaned between4:00 am and 9:00 am, more frequent tank drain and refill processes couldbe utilized. Alternatively, this functionality could be determined bycollecting historical data through rack identification and setting drainand refill functionality based on cumulative data over time.

In some embodiments, the dishmachine may include an enclosure to helpprotect the machine and its internal components from the environment.The dishmachine environment is subject to higher than normal ambienttemperatures and humidities as well as the potential for direct waterspray downs. Regulatory standards help to protect against these types offactors to an extent, but may not ensure desired reliability is met.

In some embodiments, the dishmachine or controller can be used todetermine the optimal mix of the types of racks needed by a customerbased on the frequency of use of each rack type. For example, if adishmachine or controller determines that ten glass racks are washed foreach plate rack, a recommendation can be made to adjust the number ofeach type of rack used in the dish room so that the customer has tentimes the number of glass racks as plate racks. Likewise, similar datacould be collected to estimate the number of uses of each type of ware.For example, the number of racks of a particular type of ware could becounted and multiplied by the number of items in the rack. That numbercould be divided by the total number of that type of ware in circulationto estimate the number of uses. A customer could use that number of usesto either anticipate when to order replacements or for warranty purposeson the ware. Furthermore, this data could be used for reporting to thecustomer and recommendation of adjustment of processes to improve thewashing process; for example if the data shows that more glass racks arebeing washed than expected, processes could be examined to determine ifracks are not being filled prior to washing, or if conditions areresulting in substandard washing performance, requiring that glasses berewashed to obtain adequate cleaning.

The above specification, examples and data provide a completedescription of the manufacture and use of the disclosed dishmachine.Since many embodiments of the disclosure can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in theclaims.

We claim:
 1. A dishmachine comprising: a. a wash chamber comprising aleast one wash arm and at least one spray nozzle on the wash arm; b. anoutlet in the wash chamber through which water vapor can flow; c. a heatexchanger in fluid communication with the outlet comprising at least oneheat exchanger coil, an exhaust port, and a drain, wherein the drain isin fluid communication with the wash chamber; and d. a source offreshwater in fluid communication with the interior of the heatexchanger coil, wherein the heat inside the heat exchanger coil iscapable of heating the freshwater by at least 30° F.
 2. The dishmachineof claim 1, the heat exchanger further comprising a fan.
 3. Thedishmachine of claim 1, wherein the exhaust port is in fluidcommunication with the wash chamber.
 4. The dishmachine of claim 1,wherein the exhaust port is in fluid communication with the air outsideof the wash chamber.
 5. The dishmachine of claim 1, wherein the heatexchanger also collects the air outside of the wash chamber.
 6. Thedishmachine of claim 1, further comprising a booster heater.
 7. Adishmachine comprising: a. a wash chamber comprising a least one washarm and at least one spray nozzle on the wash arm; b. an outlet in thewash chamber through which water vapor can flow; c. a heat exchanger influid communication with the outlet comprising at least one heatexchanger coil, an exhaust port, and a drain, wherein the drain is influid communication with the wash chamber; and d. a refrigerant-boostedcondenser in fluid communication with the heat exchanger comprising atleast one condenser coil; and e. a source of freshwater in fluidcommunication with the refrigerant-booster condenser, wherein the heatfrom the refrigerant-boosted condenser is capable of heating thefreshwater by at least 30° F.
 8. The dishmachine of claim 7, the heatexchanger further comprising a fan.
 9. The dishmachine of claim 7,wherein the exhaust port is in fluid communication with the washchamber.
 10. The dishmachine of claim 7, wherein the exhaust port is influid communication with the air outside of the wash chamber.
 11. Thedishmachine of claim 7, wherein the heat exchanger also collects the airoutside of the wash chamber.
 12. The dishmachine of claim 7, furthercomprising a booster heater.
 13. A dishmachine comprising: a. a washchamber comprising a least one wash arm and at least one spray nozzle onthe wash arm; b. an outlet in the wash chamber through which water vaporcan flow; c. a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with theoutlet comprising at least one heat exchanger coil, an exhaust port, anda drain, wherein the drain is in fluid communication with the washchamber; d. a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with theexhaust port of the first heat exchanger comprising at least one heatexchanger coil, an exhaust port, and a drain, wherein the drain is influid communication with the wash chamber; and e. a refrigerant-boostedcondenser in fluid communication with the second heat exchangercomprising at least one condenser coil; and f. a source of freshwater influid communication with the refrigerant-booster condenser, wherein theheat from the refrigerant-boosted condenser is capable of heating thefreshwater by at least 30° F.
 14. The dishmachine of claim 13, whereinthe first or second heat exchanger independently further comprise a fan.15. The dishmachine of claim 13, wherein the first heat exchanger alsocollects the air outside of the wash chamber.
 16. The dishmachine ofclaim 13, further comprising a booster heater.